Rotary engine



May 30, 1933. M. SCROSSLEY 1,911,265

ROTARY ENGINE Filed April ,9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l NNNNNN OR TTTTTT EY May 30, M s CROSSLEY ROTARY ENGINE Filed April 9, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 30, 193 M. s. CROSSLEY ROTARY ENGINE Filed April 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1/02/1276: l'oss/gy ATTORNEY inders, Without the necessity of resorting to Spider 9 being providedwithinv the casing 6,

Patented May 30, 1933 s V 1,911,265

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed April 9, 1930. Serial no. 442,838.

This invention relates to improvements in tially onthe line 33 of Figure 2 looking in internal combustion engines of the rotary the direction indicated by the arrows. .type and embodying a stator unit and a Figure at is a view in end elevation of one 7 rotary unit, and the invention has as one of of the cylinders of the engine.

5 its objects to provide a novel arrangement Figure 5 is a view in elevation of one of 66 of the cylinders of the rotorunitand the pisthe cylinders looking at the advancing side tons thereof together with a novel arrangethereof. ment of intake and exhaust ports upon the Figure 6 is a detail sectional view illusstator, whereby maximum power and smooth trating a packing means for establishin and even operation of the engine will be influid-tight fit of the cylinder heads against 60 sured. the annular body of the stator.

Another object of the invention is to pro The stator of the engine comprises a hollow vido an internal combustion engine of the annular body indicated by the numeral 1 and rotary type, in which the only valves respokes 2, which radiate from bearin s 3, are quired are the intake valves, and these valves secured at their outer ends by bolts Z, to the 65 may be of the ordinary type, the invention opposite sideso f thebodyl, thebearings'S therefore obviating the employment of exconstitute, in fact, bearings for the rotor unit pensive-valve units, and complicated means of the engine and this unit will presently be for actuating the valves as well as the inconspecifically described. venience and expense attending replace- In the embodiment of the invention illusment or regrlndmg of the valves. trated in the drawings, the engine is of the A further object of the invention is to four cylinder type, and in accordance with provide in an engine of the type referred to, the principles of the invention, the stator t novel arrangement or the cylinders and {918- body is formed at equidistantly spaced points t of the rotor unit of the englne, and in its circumference with three inletrports 5' means for automatically efie lng movement and-fitted into each inlet port is the intake of the pistons, 1n proper Or r, 111 a manner end of an intake valve casing 6 provided in-' to obtain the maximum benefit fr the teriorly at its inner end with a valve seat 7 to P1051011 of the Charge dehvered t the y accommodate the head of a check valve 8, a

the f a Crank shaft and cpnneflting d as usual, and a spring 10 being arranged upon This mventlon also consdsts m (lertaln the stemof each valve and bearin a ainst other features of construction and in the this spider and adainst the head f i the Combmatlon and flrmngeglerllt of ifi l outer end of the stem, so that the valves are to e heremafter y 51680111 d normally held inaclosed position. Thebody -i g g i j a l of the stator is further formed with three $32 ca y pom e m e app a exhaust ports 12, each arranged between two In 'describino, my invention in demil ref adjacent ones of the intake ports 5, and these a h 3 I a be a restate.easessatire w 22%;? 3 5 5 2 .5 i iigi i g 1 3; An intake manifold 13 is connected at each p g p g side ofone of the intake valve casings, and

.views and in which these sections of the manifold, as a whole, are

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the internal Combustion engine embodying th connected attheir other ends to the cas ngs of the other intake valves, the manifold secinvention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken tions extending concentrically with respect in a plane at right angles to the axis of the to the stator, and a supply main 14 for the rotor of the engine. gaseous fuel for the engine is placed 1n com- 50 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken ub tanmunication with the first mentioned one of by the numeral 16, is led from the manifold.

at this point. Spark plug sockets 17 are provided upon the interior of the stator body 1. Each of the spark plug sockets 17 is located a definite distance, and spaced from theadjacent exhaust port 12 and the adjacent inlet port 5, and somewhat nearer the exhaust port, in the direction of rotation of the rotor unit, and spark plugs 18 of the ordinary type are fitted in these sockets. At this point and particularly by reference to Figure 3, it will be evidentthat the stator body and the spokes 2 and bearings 3 are stationary.

, The rotor unit comprises a central body in dicated in general by the numeral 19, and this body comprises side plates 20 which are formed integral with or fixed upon the inner ends of relatively short shafts 21 rotatably mounted in the bearings 3, a series of plates are each formed to provide a portion 22, which is secured in any suitable manner to the inner end of each cylinder 23, this end of each cylinder, indicated by the numeral 24, being of rectangular form, and each plate further comprises a portion 25, which extends at an obtuse angle to the portion 22, and is secured at its end to the opposite side of the head 24 of the cylinder in rear of the first mentioned cylinder, in the direction of rotation of the rotor,

In this manner a polygonal and completely closed casing is provided to house parts which will presently be described, and in order that the heads 20 may be securely held and connected with the innerends of the cylinders to properly brace the cylinders, bolts 26 are secured through the portions of the margins of the heads 20which extend along the opposite sides of the inner heads 24 of the cylinders, these heads 20 being of a marginal contour to correspond to the successive ones of the plates 22 throughout the series of plates.

Each cylinder, at its outer end, is formed with an arcuatehead 27 which has parallel sides and is of a width somewhat less than the width of the wall of the body 1 of the stator. The curvature of the cylinder heads 27 corresponds to the curvature of the surface of the stator body 1 and therefore the outer sides of these heads 27 are adapted to travel freely and yet snugly in contact with the inner surfaceof the said body 1. In order that a fluidtight connection may be provided between the stator body 1 and the heads 27, each head is formed in its outer face with a circular groove 28 and a circular "packing ring 29 is .33, and the rods of the pistons, each of oppositely located ones of the cylinders are connected pivotally, at their outer ends, as at 34, to the opposite ends of a rock lever 35, and these rock levers for the two pairs of pistons are arranged in crossed or intersecting relation and mounted upon a pin 36, which is seated at its ends in bearing sockets 37 formed centrally in the plates 20, and there fore in axial alinement with the shafts 2. These rock levers are free to rock upon the pin 36, and it will be evident, by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, that when the piston head in one of the cylinders is forced inwardly, on the ignition stroke, the lever arm 35 to one end of which the corresponding piston rod is connected will be rocked so as toexert a pull upon the diametrically opposite piston and move the sameinwardly inthe way of the intake valve 6, and this means comprises a series of six cams 38 which are formed upon the inner surface of the stator body 1 at one side of the rotor and, in a four cylinder engine, of thistype, three of these cams willbe located each adjacent a respec tive one of the spark plugs 18 and. the other three cams will be located near the intake ports ofthe intake manifold 13 but slightly in rear thereof, in the direction of rotation of the rotor, the distance being determined by the distance between the inner side of the wall of the cylinder and the forward side of the roller 46 to be presently further described. One of each two oppositely positioned or companion cylinders has its rear outer end of said lever arm. Each of the rods 40 is provided at its outer end with a laterally right angularly extending supporting portion 44 provided at its outer end with a yoke 45 in which is mounted a roller 46, and these rollers travel against the inner surface of the stator body 1, and ride successively over the said cams 38.

As the rotor unit 19 is turned the roller 46 comes in contact with the cams 38 and this forces a set of the pistons 31 toward the center of the rotor at this time one of the pistons 31 is at intake position and its mating piston is at the firing point. A charge of gas is taken into the cylinder of the first mentioned piston and when the cylinder has passed the intake port the cylinder is closed by the wall of the stator by the action of the spring 32 the charge in the said cylinder is compressed and the charge in the cylinder which is at the firing point is exploded thus the pistons move inwardly. The pistons 31 move inwardly and through the springs 32 the power is transmitted to the cylinder heads 24. By the impulse of power at this point the rotor unit is caused to turn. The heads 24 are disposed substantially tangentially to the rotor. The pistons drive the cranks on the shaft at a tangent which increases as the pistons work in and out. i The rotor unit is considered as a circular body and the heads 24 are disposed substantially tangent to said circular body and thus the rotor unit is made to revolve.

The operation of the engine will be readily understood by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings and in this figure the cylinder at the right of the figure has been fired and the piston in the cylinder at the left and opposite to the first mentioned cylinder is at the beginning of its intake stroke, due to the connection between these two companion pistons; likewise, the lower cylinder in Figure 2 is in communication with the exhaust manifold 16 and the piston in the companion cylinder at the top of Figure 2 is at an intermediate point in its compression stroke, due to the connection between these two companion pistons.

It will be evident therefore that there will be practically a continuous firing of the cylin ders so that the rotor body 19 will have imparted thereto, a substantially continuous rotary motion at a uniform speed. This motion, of course, being transmitted to the shafts 21. It will also be observed by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 and by reference to the above description of the relative positions of the pistons that the engagement of the rollers 46 of the respective pistons with the successive cams 38 is in consonance with such movement of the pistons as would take place, if these rollers and cams would not be present, but, in starting the motor, the rotor may be rotated by any suitable starting of the device so as to set the engine in full operation. It will be understood, however, that the engagement of the rollers with the cams will effect, in a positive manner the properly timed motion of each respective piston. It will further be evident that inasmuch as the cylinders 23 are disposed chordally with respect to the circumference of the stator, the comhustion space between each piston head and the body of the stator is of such form and such capacity as to insure of the most effective action of the explosive mixture on the firing stroke of each piston.

In order that lubricant may be supplied in a suitable quantity, to the outer surfaces of the heads 27, from the casing of the rotor, a strip 47 of packing material is secured in any suitable manner to the rear side of each of the said heads, and a small conduit 48 is arranged to extend betweeneach outer wall 25 of the casing 19 and a head 27, the conduit, at its outer end having an extension 49 which is welded or otherwise secured to the inner side of the respective head and it will be evident that through centrifugal force, lubricant will be caused to flow through these conduits in suflicient quantities to lubricate the surfaces of the heads and the inner surface of the annular wall'l of the casing of the stator, a greater or less quantity of this oil being also delivered into the cylinders 23 so as to lubricate the pistons.

It will be understood, that, in the operation of the engine, the springs 32 serveto actuate the respective pistons on the compression and exhaust strokes of the pistons of each unit.

What I claim is p In an engine, a stator comprising an annular body provided at intervals with inwardly disposed cams, a rotor journaled in the stator, cylinders mounted upon the rotor and having ends closed by the stator, the stator having ports with which the cylinders communicate at intervals, pistons slidable in the cylinders, cross arms mounted upon the axis of the rotor for rocking movement thereon and connected with all of the pistons, rods connected with certain of the cross arms and disposed along certain of the cylinders and rollers carried by the rods and adapted to engagethe cams successively.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

MARLIN S. CROSSLEY. 

